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Keystone XL: 5 basic things you should know

For those not up to speed on the Keystone XL controversy, here is what you need to know.

5. When will a decision be made?

Evan Vucci/AP/File
President Barack Obama wipes sweat from his head during a speech on climate change, Tuesday, June 25, 2013, at Georgetown University in Washington.

It’s unclear. It has already been more than six years since the initial application for XL was filed, and President Obama has yet to issue a permit.  

Last May, the US House passed the Northern Route Approval Act, a bill that would allow the decision regarding Keystone XL to bypass presidential approval. It has not passed the Senate, though in April, 11 Democratic senators wrote a letter to Mr. Obama urging him to act and noting that the process had been “exhaustive in its time, breadth, and scope.”

With Republicans taking control of the Senate in November's midterm elections, Congress is likely to pass a bill approving the pipeline either late this year or in early 2015. It is unclear whether or not President Obama would veto such a bill, but the White House has repeatedly said the pipeline should undergo the approval process already underway.

(Editor's note: This slide was updated on Nov. 18, 2014 to incorporate the impact of the midterm elections.) 

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Mark Sappenfield
Editor

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